A gas leak on Monday afternoon shut down 6th Avenue West from Dunsmuir to Taylor Street, as well as portions of 5th Avenue West, the streets linking 6th to 7th and Fulton Street from 3rd Avenue to 7th Avenue West.

The incident occurred shortly before four p.m. yesterday in the 500 block of 6th Avenue West. A passerby reported a strong odour of gas in the area, and PNG was called and discovered the leak. RCMP and the fire department evacuated the area and by Monday avening the road closures were removed except for the 500 block of 6th Avenue West. While it was thought that the problem would be fixed within hours, complications arose and the evacuation order for 50 residents remained throughout the night while work to fix the leak continued.

Those affected by the evacuation were taken to the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre, where information was provided and accommodations were arranged. It is hoped the problem will be fixed this morning, although worked continued as of 10 a.m. on Tuesday.